Donations to unrestricted funding provide a reliable source of philanthropic dollars to be used where and when they are needed most. This ensures that the College can respond to current needs and challenges while planning for future opportunities and successes.

Despite our relatively low tuition and fees, more and more students have increasing difficulty paying for college. Scholarship dollars are essential to help our students in need of financial assistance. The College currently administers hundreds of scholarships, benefiting our most deserving students in a variety of areas of study. You can contribute to a number of existing scholarships, including our general scholarship funds for our Blue Bell and Pottstown campuses. If donating to a specific existing scholarship, please ensure to include its name in a note with your gift.

You also have the opportunity to leave your mark by establishing a named annual, endowed, or blended scholarship at Montco.

An annual scholarship is a current-use, non-endowed named fund which is established to support a specific purpose by a donor. The funds are awarded annually until the account is depleted. To create an annual scholarship a gift agreement is required and a minimum gift of $5,000 is needed to establish the named fund. The gift can be made through a pledge and payable over a five-year period. Donors can continue to add to the fund to build its value.

An endowed scholarship is a scholarship that has been established by a donor and invested with the college's endowment. This fund is awarded in perpetuity, spending only the interest accrued each year, not the principal. This type of fund is designed to create financial sustainability for prolonged impact on student success through scholarships. To create an endowment there is a minimum gift of $20,000 and a gift agreement is required. Payments may be made over 5 years. The endowment is not awarded until 1 year after the $20,000 is fully funded.

A blended scholarship combines the benefits of an annual and endowed scholarship. With a commitment of $25,000, payable over five years, donors have the opportunity to endow a scholarship with the capability of awarding an annual scholarship. Because the endowment is not awarded until a year after it is fully funded with $20,000, the annual scholarship payment allows the scholarship to be awarded in the years that the pledge is being paid for the endowment.

If you are interested or have questions about which option is best for your philanthropic goals, please contact us at foundation@v-lanterna.com.

By supporting programs at Montgomery County Community College, you are investing in both academic innovation as well as vital student services. Academic programs depend on continued funding to update curriculum, purchase equipment and technology, and create unique learning experiences. In this way, we can ensure our students emerge from their programs as experts in their fields, equipped with the cutting-edge best practices their industries requires. Additionally, special programs ensure our students have access to needs outside the classroom to help them thrive. This includes tutoring programs, career services, clubs and activities, and essential needs based programs like free online therapy through TalkSpace and access to Montco's Stock Up for Success food pantry.

The exemplary faculty at Montgomery County Community College are dedicated to not only their subject matter expertise but also to student success. It is important to the well-being of the institution and the academic success of our students that we retain our highly qualified faculty pool while also recruiting the best and brightest educators to join the Montco family. Contributions for faculty support ensure these retention and recruitment efforts are possible. Additionally, this funding provides support for professional development opportunities to ensure diverse ideas and the most innovative best practices in higher education are being utilized at Montco.

Unforeseen circumstances can cause significant hurdles in one's academic journey. Particularly in 2020 and 2021, we've seen an influx of students in need of urgent assistance due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we know our students have faced unprecedented hardships prior to the pandemic and may face them beyond it as well. These emergency needs may range from a sudden inability to pay the bills associated with their tuition and academic fees to a complete shift in one's food and housing security. By having philanthropic funds allocated to emergency support, we can help our students who may be struggling to access the academic, technological, and personal basic needs to thrive on their educational journey.

As a prominent institution for higher education in the region, Montco is always developing to meet the needs of our growing student body and our communities. The College is committed to keeping pace with the ever evolving needs of technology, curriculum, and engagement for our students and communities to thrive. This requires pursuit of special initiatives, such as capitol construction projects, that will ensure our campuses are designed to effectively answer these needs.

Current projects include:

• Renovation of the Science Center and College Theater at the Blue Bell Campus
• Revamping Pottstown Campus through renovation of North Hall, creation of green spaces, incorporation of College signage, and more
• Establishment of the Challenger Center at the Pottstown Campus
• Building a new Culinary Arts Institute at the Blue Bell Campus

For more information about current special projects, please contact foundation@v-lanterna.com.